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The places. Burton identifies his profession. (p. 3; DJR-002-01.) Divine praises Seneca. (p. 5; DJR-003-05.) Divines names the distressed clergy. (p. 135; DJR-048-01.)
In this edition. “a Divine” → “a theologian” (DJR-002-01); “divine Seneca” → “divine Seneca” (DJR-003-05); “our Divines” → “our clergy” (DJR-048-01). Theologian and clergy specify the noun’s institutional senses. The adjective remains, with its rhetorical sense explained by the note.
See also. Casuists; Schoolmen; Professor; Humane learning.
Dotage
Source forms: dotage; dote; still dotage
The word. Dotage can name delusion or disordered reasoning; to dote can mean to lose reason or become delirious. It need not imply old age. Still dotage means quiet mental derangement, with still describing its subdued character.
In Burton. The prefatory catalogue includes dotage among the many literal and figurative senses gathered under melancholy. A reported case concerns a young man who suddenly loses his reason. In another definition, still dotage accompanies sorrow and bodily pain that come and go in fits.
The places. Dotage appears in the broad catalogue of melancholy. (p. 18; DJR-007-08.) A young man is said to begin to dote. (p. 56; DJR-031-53.) Still dotage belongs to an intermittent condition. (p. 202; DJR-062-32.)
In this edition. “dotage” → “delusion” (DJR-007-08); “began to dote on a sudden” → “he suddenly lost his reason” (DJR-031-53); “still dotage” → “quiet mental derangement” (DJR-062-32). The renderings distinguish delusion, an abrupt loss of reason and a quiet disturbance. They avoid making advanced age part of each occurrence.
Dowry and jointure
Source forms: dowers; portion; indotatus; joynters
The word. A dowry or marriage portion is property brought into a marriage. Jointure names property or income settled for a wife, especially for her widowhood. Dowers in the cited proposal means dowries; the local sense should not be replaced by the distinct legal sense of a widow’s dower.
In Burton. Burton’s imagined social order regulates marriage payments, while his account of household burdens lists jointures among financial obligations. The poverty of learning receives two marriage metaphors: the Muses lack portions, and an unappointed scholar is indotatus, without a dowry—that is, without money to secure advancement.
The places. The proposed commonwealth regulates dowries. (p. 66; DJR-017-05.) Jointures appear among charges on a household. (p. 69; DJR-017-32.) The Muses lack marriage portions. (p. 133; DJR-047-27.) An impoverished scholar is called indotatus. (p. 142 [printed 128]; DJR-049-28.)
In this edition. “great dowers” → “large dowries” (DJR-017-05); “joynters” → “jointures” (DJR-017-32); “no portion” → “no dowries” (DJR-047-27); “indotatus” → “without a dowry” (DJR-049-28). Dowry clarifies both the financial arrangement and the satire. Jointure remains as the more specific provision and is explained locally.
See also. Affinity and consanguinity; Venery; Suit; Mistress; Legal evidence.
Eclegme
The word. An eclegme is a medicine taken by licking, also called a lincture or linctus. The name identifies a form of administration within the list of prepared medicines.
In Burton. The synopsis places eclegmes among compounds taken internally. They occur with theriac and mithridate under confections in the thicker branch of liquid preparations. Their position in the scheme helps explain why a general word such as medicine alone would lose useful information.
The places. Eclegmes occur in the synopsis of compound medicines. (scan p. 324; DJR-067-15.)
In this edition. “Eclegmes or Linctures” → “medicines taken by licking, or linctuses” (DJR-067-15). The modern wording gives both the action and a related technical term, allowing the reader to follow the classification.
See also. Receipt.
Ecstasy
Source forms: extasies; Extasie; Extasis
The word. Ecstasy names a trance or a state beyond ordinary awareness. Intense happiness is not an adequate general gloss here. Burton also allows a favourable spiritual sense before distinguishing harmful excess or abuse.
In Burton. The early classification describes states in which people are said to deliver oracles. Another narrative includes trance among a woman’s reported fits. In religious melancholy, Burton explicitly grants the value of temperance and contemplation, describing ecstasy as a foretaste of heavenly happiness, before turning to its abuse.
The places. Ecstasy is linked with reported divination. (p. 9; DJR-022-23.) Trance occurs among the reported fits. (p. 53–54; DJR-031-25.) Spiritual ecstasy is distinguished from its abuse. (p. 656; DJR-156-10.)
In this edition. “Extasie” → “ecstasy” (DJR-022-23); “extasies” → “trance” (DJR-031-25); “Extasis is a taste of future happiness” → “Ecstasy is a taste of future happiness” (DJR-156-10). Trance clarifies the narrative symptom; ecstasy remains where the philosophical or spiritual category matters. The favourable qualification in the later passage is retained.
See also. Madness; Daemon and genius.
Election
Source forms: elections; election of times; election
The word. Election means choosing. In astrology it is the selection of a supposedly favourable time for an action; in the account of the rational soul it is free choice. These senses are distinct from election to salvation.
In Burton. Burton’s satire of learning dismisses astrological elections alongside predictions. His discussion of love reports a debate about compelling affection by choosing times. The philosophical definition, by contrast, places election with the rational soul’s capacity to act freely.
The places. Astrological elections are ridiculed in a catalogue of disciplines. (p. 167; DJR-055-21.) Choosing times is proposed as a means of influencing love. (p. 422; DJR-110-24.) Election names the rational soul’s choice. (p. 27; DJR-026-22.)
In this edition. “vain elections” → “futile choices of auspicious times” (DJR-055-21); “election of times” → “choosing favourable times” (DJR-110-24); “with election” → “by choice” (DJR-026-22). The renderings make the object of choosing explicit where necessary. Choice is sufficient in the philosophical definition.
See also. Astrology.
Election and reprobation
Source forms: reprobate; reprobates; Elect
The word. In the theological discussion, the elect are those chosen for salvation; reprobates are those rejected from it. The terms describe opposed spiritual conditions, but their occurrence in a sufferer’s speech does not establish that the feared condition is true.
In Burton. Burton recounts people’s conviction that they are forsaken and beyond mercy. His subsequent argument challenges that certainty: if they cannot prove that they are not reprobates, how can they prove that they are? The reversal is a move against self-condemnation, not confirmation of it.
The places. Reprobate forms part of the sufferers’ reported despair. (p. 703; DJR-165-39.) People consider themselves forsaken and beyond mercy. (p. 706; DJR-166-22.) Burton challenges the certainty of rejection. (p. 713; DJR-167-42.)
In this edition. “reprobate” → “rejected by God” (DJR-165-39); “account themselves Reprobates” → “consider themselves reprobates” (DJR-166-22); “whether he be elect” → “whether he is among the elect” (DJR-167-42). Rejected by God explains the term where the narrative requires it. Retained reprobates and elect remain theological vocabulary; the wording preserves who believes or questions each claim.
See also. Faith and assurance.
Electuaries
The word. Electuaries are medicinal compounds commonly mixed with a sweet vehicle. Lenitive describes a gentle laxative effect in the cited recommendation.